Gastroparesis, or "stomach paralysis," delays digestion by slowing the passage of food from your stomach to your small intestine. In gastroparesis, diabetic nerve damage, stomach surgery or a nervous system disorder prevents your gastric muscles from contracting normally, so that food sits in your stomach for an extended time. This delay can lead to bacterial overgrowth, nutritional deficiencies and the formation of clumps of indigestible fiber called bezoars. Liquid meals may pass more easily through your stomach when your stomach muscles aren't functioning properly.
Purpose
If you have gastroparesis related to diabetes, delays in your digestion of carbohydrates can cause dangerous fluctuations in your blood sugar. Temporarily switching to a liquid diet may allow you to keep up your nutritional intake and maintain stable blood sugar levels. The severity of gastroparesis varies from one person to another. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe a temporary diet of thin liquids that reach your digestive tract by gravity alone. A liquid diet lets your stomach rest and allows you to maintain hydration and nutrition until your gastric function improves.
Guidelines
Small liquid meals may be easier to digest than larger meals when you have gastroparesis. Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine the correct consistency of your liquid meals. If you're allowed to have pureed foods, most vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, potatoes, cereals or dairy products can be processed to a near-liquid form, with added broth, milk, fruit or vegetable juice to thin the mixture. Use a strainer to remove solid particles. Fortified or evaporated milk, high-calorie fruit nectar, gelatin and powdered breakfast drinks provide additional protein and calories on a liquid diet. If your gastroparesis is more severe, your doctor may recommend a restricted diet of thin, fat-free liquids to provide hydration and basic nutrition until you can tolerate thicker liquids. Because fat can worsen the effects of gastroparesis by delaying digestion, this basic diet excludes all fats. Electrolyte replacement drinks, soft drinks, broth and small servings of saltine crackers are allowed on this diet. You should only follow this restricted diet for up to 72 hours, with ongoing medical supervision.
Nutritional Requirements
With careful planning, you can meet your requirements for protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals on a liquid diet. High-calorie, nutrient-dense, fat-free liquid meal replacements may help you maintain your weight and nutritional status if you aren't getting enough nutrients from pureed foods, liquefied foods or clear liquids. A non-fat liquid diet for gastroparesis only meets your body's basic requirements for fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates. If your doctor has ordered a non-fat liquid diet, you may be able to advance to thicker liquids after one to three days, followed by thicker liquids and soft foods.
Alternative Strategies
If you are following an oral liquid diet and it doesn't stabilize your blood sugar or provide enough nutrients, your doctor may recommend that you have a tube placed in your abdomen to receive feedings directly through your small intestine. During this procedure, a surgeon would create an opening in your abdominal wall, or a jejunostomy, to access your small intestine. A tube would be placed to deliver liquid nutritional supplements and medications to your digestive tract, bypassing your stomach. These tube feedings may stabilize your blood sugar and prevent weight loss until your gastroparesis can be controlled. If you aren't receiving adequate nutrition through a feeding tube, you may need to receive intravenous fluids and nutrients until your blood glucose levels are under control and you're able to take nutrition by mouth or feeding tube again.
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